OSTREA
2021 Vernaccia Di San Gimignano Mormoraia
Grapes | Vernaccia |
Colour | White |
Origin | Italy, Tuscany |
Other | Certified Organic |
Sub-district | Vernaccia Di San Gimignano |
ABV | 13% |
The vineyard here is laden with bits of ancient oyster shells from the times when this part of Italy was under the sea, and this is where the name Ostrea comes from. As you might hope there is a good mineral line coursing through this smart Vernaccia di Gimignano. But this is no one-trick pony. The juice is fermented in barrel, and emerges with a straw-yellow colour and an engaging depth of flavour, floral with firm orchard fruits and a touch of creamy vanilla. Nicely textured and a quietly sophisticated edge. There are notes of wild flowers, dried herbs and a creamy aniseed surrounding the yellow plum and nectarine fruit. This is stunning value for money and if you love white Burgundy but can't afford that anymore this is a brilliant alternative. L&S (May 2023)
12 | ||
*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
Vines 40 years old. Fermentation and ageing for six months in barrel, then six months in tank. A light note of oak in toast and spice, then more herbal and grassy (but not unripe). Sour-fresh fragrance, pure and bone dry. The oak is well judged and gives a rounded feeling in the mouth, even though the acidity is high. Nutty, grainy finish. GV Drinking range: 2024 - 2030 Rating: 17 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Jul 2024)
In the bottle with the gray label, the organic Mormoraia 2021 Vernaccia di San Gimignano Ostrea has a lovely bouquet with melon, orchard fruit and hints of dried citrus or preserved lemon. I like the silky-smooth feeling this unoaked wine imparts in the mouth, its medium freshness and its waxy finish. Production is 6,000 bottles. Drinking range: 2023 - 2026 Rating: 90 Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (www.robertparker.com) (Apr 2024)
Mormoraia
Alessandro Passoni is the second generation here to run this beautiful estate since his father bought the old convent back in 1980 and started to regenerate the vineyards. The name comes from the property's religious history as a convent, with the murmur of the nuns as they recited their prayers that once emanated from the walls like a 'Mormoraia'.
Pino Passoni and his wife Franca passed over the reins to their children in 2012 and the farm has been worked organically since 2013. This is an estate on the move with energy and ever better practices in the vineyards and clever gentle work in the cellar. The results are great and these wines get better and better!
Organic Wine Selection
Here's a great selection of organic wine choices that are not necessarily 'certified', but we can vouch for the organic vineyard and winemaking practices.
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